Atlanta United needs to showcase personality, says head coach Ronny Deila
Atlanta United took a noticeable step forward, offensively, in Wednesday night’s 3-2 victory over Orlando, but head coach Ronny Deila still has an area for the Five Stripes to improve upon.
It has nothing to do with Atlanta’s game plan, but rather its energy. Deila wants to see more of his players’ personalities shine on the pitch.
And he passionately discussed the topic after Atlanta’s second-straight victory.
“Being average is boring,” Deila said. “I want to see more personality. I want to see more togetherness. I want to see more energy.”
The Five Stripes unleashed one of their fiercest performances down the stretch against Orlando. They made the Lions lose their cool with three yellow cards and a red card in the final 20 minutes. Orlando received six cards — five yellow and one red — in the match.
Deila credited the crowd of 39,275 for edging Orlando to its breaking point. He also noted that the team gave its fans something to be excited for with seven goals across its last two matches.
“Thanks to everybody else here,” Deila said. “We were there to create something with them because we gave them something to cheer about, but also the atmosphere we created, in the end — it was impossible to stay calm. They lost their head, and we get the win.”
The Five Stripes’ victory gave them their first winning streak. Deila believes it will create belief vital to turning around a team that still has over half its matches ahead. Atlanta began the year with just two victories in 14 contests but has now won each of its last two.
“We have to start to believe in ourselves,” Deila said. “Start to be more killer. Need to start to get out of your own skin, start to show who we are. Sometimes, you’re going to fail, but also you’re going to win.”
Deila’s statement means different things to different players, but for veteran goalkeeper Brad Guzan, Atlanta’s intensity is what can set it apart. The Five Stripes need to show energy when tackling, defending, running and aggressively getting to the box when the ball is wide right.
They showed glimpses of it in their win against Orlando, so the next step is to consistently deliver for 90 minutes.
And that starts on Saturday against New York.
About the Author
Olivia Sayer joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in May 2025 as an intern on the sports beat. She is earning a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia with a minor in sport management and a sports media certificate. Olivia previously held the titles of digital and assistant sports editor at The Red & Black.
